Clip of The Week

A little lengthy but stellar nonetheless.

Drayton Fires 2 Again

The boos came raining down hard on Jeff Bagwell night and word is that Drayton McLane couldn't take it. As someone whose main goal is to take care of the customer, McLane knew he had to do something. So hours later, he fired both GM Tim Purpura and MGR Phil Garner.

Both were warranted. Each to a certain degree. Garner was never the best manager to begin with. Sure he led Houston to its first World Series but I could have too with Clemens, Pettitte and Oswalt as my starters. His moves this year have been unorthodox to say the least. It's almost as if tries to go out of his way to do the opposite of the norm.

As for Purpura, well, no one can really grade the job he did. Whose call was the Jennings deal? The Lee Deal? And for the matter the Clemens/Pettitte deal? Was it truly Purpura or was McLane and/or President (and interim GM) Tal Smith involved? Either way, the public opinion was so against him that Uncle Drayton had to do something.

But now where should the team go? First, McLane and his crew need to reevaluate the organization. I think they should hire someone from the Moneyball way of thinking to be the GM or Assistant GM. McLane needs to also let loose of the reins a bit. He can take a page from the Les Alexander school and get involved only on big decisions, and even then let your people do most of the decision making.

The team needs to refocus its scouting/farm system and try and get back to it's glory days of the 90's. Not having one single pick before the 5th round won't cut it. As mentioned before, the Astros were the last team in MLB to have a high A ball team. If anything, invest in more teams, not less. One thing that they finally started to do this year was bring up their top prospects much sooner. In years past Hunter Pence would have been stuck at AAA for a couple years. Ditto for Troy Patton. I'm not advicating rushing anyone and everyone but if the case warrants it, by all means don't shy away from it like in years past.

The manager post really doesn't matter next year. A spot in the wild card race would be the best one could hope for. McLane should hire interim skipper Cecil Cooper full time, if nothing else, because he's black. There have been too many racial undertones the last few years regarding this Houston team. This would go a long way towards erasing some of them.

Applaud Drayton for at least having the guts to make a change. Another season would have been a throwaway. Now it's time for Drayton to make another change and that's to let his new GM actually run the organization this time around.

Henry Pulls Out (or doesn't) Another Record

Former Titan RB Travis Henry makes headlines today not for his playing prowess but for his plowing process. Reportedly, he has fathered 9 children with 9 different women in 4 different states. And the answer to your next question is yes.

Yes, he has beaten Shawn Kemp's former record of fathering 7 children out of wedlock. Amazingly, Kemp even had the same mother a couple of the times. So not only did Henry father more kids, he did it with all different women. A truly Herculean effort by deadbeat (sports) dad standards.

Clip of The Week

I've got something new this time. Starting today, I'll post a new clip each friday. It could very well be anything that catches my attention. Today it involved Houston's #1 problem.

The Sound of $15 Sneakers Hitting The Clearance Rack

Am I tired? Yes. But the Mike Vick story continues to gain steam so I will write about it once more. Maybe twice, we'll wait and see. But the most recent twist has hooper Stephon Marbury (of the $15 sneaker fame) comparing dogfighting to hunting. Marbury states, "I think, you know, we don't say anything about people who shoot deer or shoot other animals. You know, from what I hear, dogfighting is a sport. It's just behind closed doors."

I know, I know, he's crazy. But deep down you know he's right. You just don't want to admit it, especially if you hunt. But it's true.

Now no one will argue that it's done behind closed doors. And as much as I think it's wrong, anyone can plainly see it's a sport. Not that much different than bullfighting, except one dog will either die or be wounded badly. Comparing it to hunting is a bit extreme but some of the same elements are there. Many of the fans like the kill. An animal does die. And it costs a lot of money to participate.

On the other hand, most will say dogfighting is just plain cruel, that the animals die a slow death. Sadly, though, so is hunting. Many hunters are more concerned about mounting the head or are just plain bad shots. You see, in order for the deer to die quickly you must hit the head or neck. But many hit the shoulder or other part of the body in order to save the mountable neck/head area.

That's when the animal runs a few hundred feet and the hunter is left to find the deer or give up. Sometimes, the deer lives for days only to perish much later. Either way, the deer is much like the dog. Fighting for its life, suffering in pain. Cruel? Yes. Controversial? Not near as much in most Americans eyes.

While dogfighting is much more cruel (and I don't think its fans are eating the meat either), hunting can be pretty bad. I hate to admit it but Marbury has a good point. But his point won't be heard because it sounds like he's siding with Vick. Oh and one other thing. White media members don't like young black athletes spouting off on social issues. Unless of course, they share the same opinion.

Troubled Player On Short Leash

It seems the new trend amongst the sports media is that Michael Vick (AKA Ron Mexico) will be suspended and will serve jail time. They continue to report that no team will pick him up once his jail time/suspension is over.

They could not be more wrong. From spousal abuse to drugs to involvement in murder, athletes have done it all. And they've continued to play sports once they've served their time too.

The QB position would be tough to come back and play after a year or two off but Vick, at the very least, could come back in a 3rd down RB/WR type role. And please don't tell me that at least a few teams would be interested in a talent like his. If he were Jerome Mathis-sure, out of the league. But this is Mike Vick folks. He will get booed, but in Jose Lima's immortal words, "Believe It", he will be back.

Defending Champs Get Top Pick In Draft

There have been lots of reports done on MLB and whether the lack of a salary cap is fair to lower and mid market teams. I'm not going to rehash that argument. What I will point out, however, is one debate that is not getting enough attention. The MLB Draft.

Since it has never been televised (until this year) many fans, media do not talk about it much. Furthermore, a good percentage of the players are high schoolers that 99% of the fans don't know about. Hell, very few fans can name more than five college players in any draft (especially if you eliminate their alma mater).

But the real ugly cloud hanging over the draft is how it shafts the poorer teams. You see, just because a player is graded as the best doesn't mean he will be drafted 1st. Or 2nd. Or 3rd. Or even top 10. Many of the best players go middle to late round because they want huge money. And since there is no rookie slotting/salary cap like the other sports drafts, teams now look at signability just as much as talent.

So say you are the Kansas City Royals. You suck every year. Your guaranteed one of the top picks year in and out. But you many times are getting one of the best players because he wants to much and you don't have money to pay the big signing bonuses the New York Yankees would pay. So you take the next best player. No big deal you say?

Well, pretend for a second this was the NBA Draft of a few years ago. You knew Lebron James was the man. And you'd love to pick him but he wanted too much money. So did Carmelo, and D-Wade, and even Chris Bosh. So who do you pick? The 5th highest rated player. And he turned out to be Chris Kaman. I think you get my point now.

Don't get me wrong. MLB has done some good things with its sport. They have penalized teams that sign marguee free agents by taking away draft choices from them (like the Astros losing their first 2 picks this year). And they do reward teams with extra picks b/w the 1st and 2nd round when they lose marguee free agents. But if they wanted to really reward teams, they'd institute a rookie salary cap. This way teams could select the player they wanted just like the NFL and NBA teams do. Baseball has never had a salary cap but this is much different. It's for minor leaguers, not major leaguers. You could still pay out a million or two for top talent. Just not multiple millions of dollars for players that may never hit one ball for your team. What other sport wastes so much money like the MLB?

Baseball has done a lot of good things the last few years. It's time for them to finally give the worst teams a real chance at competing. And until they change their way of drafting players, some teams won't have that chance.

The 1st

The only sports highlight you will see on E! Entertainment Tonight.

A Bad Season Gets Worse

As I've mentioned before, I once had faith in Astros GM Tim Poopoora but it's all gone downhill lately. After failing to do anything with Brad Lidge at the trade deadline (we'll end up releasing him for nothing like Morgan Ensberg after his next meltdown), now comes the draft deadline.

For the first time, MLB has instituted an August deadline for when picks must be signed or released. With no 1st or 2nd round picks this year, the Astros lost their top 2 draft picks (3rd and 4th rounds) because they couldn't sign them. Poopoora commented that it's the risk you take drafting high school kids. Well buddy if you are already drafting that low you may as well make sure you're getting something quality out of it. It seems reasonable to think that you would have a good idea beforehand if a player is willing to sign or not. Our minor league system is bare enough as it is.

This situation just reeks of the Astros failing to do their homework. I am so tired of seeing us fail to do anything right this year. I do not want us to lose all of the momentum we've built up over the last few years. While I doubt we'll ever go back to the Lastros days of drawing 9k per game, owner Drayton Mclane needs to do something this winter. If that means getting out of Poopoora's way and letting him do his job, then so be it. But something needs to happen. And soon.

How Predictable

On the heels of a recent winning streak, the Astros had a chance (albeit slim) to re-enter the playoff hunt with a good showing vs. the Brewers this weekend. With a sweep they would have been 5 1/2 games out of first with just shy of 2 months left to go. So what did they do?

They took the Brewers to extra innings Friday night before faltering in the 11th. Then on Saturday they let a 9th inning lead evaporate, courtesy of Brad Lidge, and again let a victory slip from their clutches. Just think where we'd be if we had a solid bullpen.

So with the season over, here's a suggestion. Fire Phil Garner after the year and start over. He doesn't want to be here (if we're not contending-and let's face it we're not) and with the likely influx of young players we need a fresh start and attitude. No knock on Phil but it's best for both sides.

The Curse of the Donut Eater

As if the trade for Jason Jennings didn't look bad enough already, check this recent development. It appears as if Jason Hirsch pitched 5 full innings after breaking his leg in the first inning of yesterday's game. Furthermore, he only gave up 3 hits the entire night. With a broken leg!!

In related news, the Astros said Hirsch would still be in AA if he was on their team.

Travis Bickle-Home Run King??

So Barry Bonds is the new Home Run king as of last night. It was a pretty underwhelming moment to say the least. In fact, the most exciting thing in baseball last night was the Alex Rodriguez (or was the Robert De Niro?) act in Toronto. With tensions high after a previous incident between A-Rod and the Blue Jays, things blew to a head after Rodriguez was plunked. He responded with a classic "You talking to me" verbal exchange with the pitcher. It was so refreshing to see him gain a sense of swagger this year after all of the undeserved criticism. I, personally, cannot wait until he wipes the Bonds era out by breaking Barry's record himself. I'm placing my money on 2015 when A-Rod turns 38. Now if only Kip's time travel device worked, I'd fast forward to the future. Or I'd end up with an ice pack taped to my crotch.

Deep Blue

With the Astros new GM sucking, let's take a look at how the Rockets new GM Daryl Morey is treating the city.

As the season ended, the Rockets were exposed as a team with a very weak complementary cast of players. Their bench went only 7 deep (Luther Head and Juwan Howard) and some of the starters (Chuck Hayes and Rafer Alston) wouldn't even start on most teams.

Specifically though, the Rockets needed an upgrade at the point guard and the power forward spots. And to make matters worse, the team had 1 late first round draft choice and little wiggle room under the cap.

Many looked for the Rockets to add a possible rotation player and hope one of their youngsters became more consistent (John Lucas III or Steve Novak).

But out of nowhere, Morey, aka Deep Blue, showed he can wheel and deal just like Carrol Dawson. He started by selecting Aaron Brooks in the first round. Brooks gives them the quick, waterbug point guard that the Rockets have never had but always been torched by (see Nick Van Exel, Rod Strickland and now Tony Parker and Chris Paul). Then Morey acquired 2 second round picks and chose Carl Landry at the top of the second round. Landry gives them a Paul Millsap type (you remember, the rookie off the bench for Utah that killed us late in the game) that can bang and hit the open jumper. Their late second round pick, Brad Newley, is a pick and stash player from Australia. At 6-7, 200lbs he has great size for a SG and has done well in limited international experience. Playing in the Australia league is akin to Juco ball but he fared well in the predraft camps. Could possible join Houston in 2-3 but don't expect much.

But yes I said trades didn't I? Morey added quite possibly the best foreign player available in Luis Scola in a trade with San Antonio. He's played well in all the highest levels, whether that be against the Dream Team or in Europe. He's no Nowitski but he can score, pass and rebound in the post. Should give us a very solid option at the 4 spot. And what did we trade him for? Basically nothing. Vassilis Spanoulis wanted to return to Greece but he had a guaranteed contract for next year. Since the Spurs were over the luxury tax and didn't want to pay it again and wanted to unload Jackie Butler's guaranteed contract it made perfect sense. In essence Houston paid roughly 4 mil for Scola. And by all accounts it should be worth it.

But Deep Blue wasn't done yet. He sent now worthless (since we acquired Scola and Landry) Juwan Howard to Minnesota for instant offense Mike James. He then inked Steve Francis to a 1yr contract for 2 million. While Francis and James are virtually the same player, they give the Rockets even more flexibility in the backcourt. Look for them to try and move Alston and/or Lucas since they now have 5 point guards on the roster. It would be great if he could get mid level money or draft picks in return.

My best guess as to their 2007-08 roster would be

Starters
Yao Ming C
Luis Scola PF
Shane Battier SF
Tracy McGrady SG
Mike James PG

Bench
Steve Francis G
Chuck Hayes PF
Bonzi Wells G/F
Luther Head G
Dikembe Mutombo C
Carl Landry PF
Kirk Snyder G
Aaron Brooks PG
Steve Novak PF
Jackie Butler C

This team looks more like a true NBA team and arguably is the most talented bench the Rockets have ever had. Look for Adelman to utilize Bonzi much better than JVG and Mutombo to only see minutes vs other slow Centers. I have a feeling he'd rather put Scola/Hayes/Landry vs the more athletic ones.

Houston may have struck out on Tim Purpura but it looks like Daryl Morey is a slam dunk.

Hate To Say I Told You So

Let me clarify myself. I am a huge Houston fan. I only root for their teams (although I was a big Titan fan for years but only because I'm so hardcore Housto-if that makes any sense) and will always hold grudges against other teams and their players. So what I'm about to say hurts. My fingers are in pain as I type. My delete button is just begging me to push him but I must be truthful.

THE HOUSTON ASTROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BUNCH OF CHEATERS.

There, I said it. Now let me tell you why.

The Astros franchise started in 1962 and was generally pretty sorry for years (think the Royals or Pirates of the last few years)until about 1979. They finally won their first pennant in 1986. That year will forever be remembered as the year of Mike Scott. He would clinch the division for the team with a no-hitter. That game also clinched his bid to become Houston's first Cy Young award winner.

Sadly, it was also the beginning of Houston and their cycle of cheats. Scott was routinely known to scuff the baseball and make it move in wild directions. How else to explain how a pitcher goes from nearly out of the league to the best in baseball in a couple years? Scott's cheating gave way to Billy Hatcher and the corked bat incident shortly thereafter. Hatcher had the misfortune of shattering his bat and having the cork fly everywhere and his reputation forever tarnished.

The next few years where quiet until a new group of Astros again started winning. This new incarnation were led by players like Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminitti, Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley. They had many things in common-from making All Star teams to rapidly bulking up and hitting home runs more often. Some showed more bulk than others-Caminitti and Bagwell-but all started hitting home runs at an unheard of rate.

The Jeff Bagwell case is well known as is that of admitted steroids abuser Ken Caminitti. I think you know the particulars for them. But what about the others?

Well, Luis Gonzalez went from total stringbean to leading the league in homeruns years later. Sure, he had not the hulking presence of a McGwire or a Bonds but he became very muscular in his own right. How else would you explain hitting a career high of 57 homeruns one year but your next best year being only 31? His power had to come from somewhere.

Steve Finly also had a similar surge. The brother in law of the poster child for the steroids era-Brady Anderson, Finley went from a career high of 10 homeruns to 30 the next year. He went from a no power, good glove/speed guy to an unbelievable power/speed double threat.

The one iffy case would be that of Craig Biggio. One could argue that after full years of 4, 4, and 6 homeruns that then jumping to 21 would be a good argument. Then again before hitting 4 homeruns in 1990 he hit 13 in his second year of ball in 1989. While Biggio stayed about the same size, one thing he displayed was an iron man type display of hustle. And one byproduct of HGH is that your body does not wear down like normal. You can lift all day and play games at night and repeat for week after week. So his uncanny grit and hustle could be due more to pharmaceuticals than determination. Factor in the fact that Biggio has been hit by pitch more than anyone in modern history and you've got a potential case. He's been extremely durable (possibly too durable?) for 20 seasons now.

Bottom line is that Houston's success has often been buoyed by signs of cheating. And we haven't even mentioned one of the most recent developments-Roger Clemens and his absurdly gaudy stats well into his 40's. Luckily, there are a new breed of Astros that appear to be clean as a whistle. Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence are both very thin and no more muscular than Ryan Seacrest. And Lance Berkman opts to bulk up by visiting Shipley's each morning.

Unfortunately, though, there is some kind of a code amongst Houston media members. As long as you are popular, they will not cast any doubts. If they were smart they'd take heed of the blind eye turned for McGwire and remember what they learned in Journalism 101. That reporting the news fairly and accurately leaves little room for conspirasts. And little doubt that the 86 Cy Young, the 94 and the 96 MVP's, and all those playoff games were earned legitimately.

Neither Won State Either

I'm definitely not the first to make the comparison but look at the two clips and tell me they don't have the same throwing motion. For whatever reason I couldn't get the link to work properly. You'll have to cut and paste again.



and



Let's pray for one more year of the Madden Curse.

When 2 > 3

The recent trade of Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics revisits an age old quandary. Is a team better served to have more superstars and a group of bench warmers or one superstar and solid, if unspectacular, role players? With Garnett (31), Paul Pierce (29) and Ray Allen (32), the Celtics have three very established players. All three are still at the top of their game but not for long. So how do things bode for Boston fans?

One should go back to the 1996 season of the Houston Rockets for an answer. The team was led by Hakeem Olajuwon (34), Charles Barkley (33), and Clyde Drexler (34). After a couple titles in 93 and 94, the Rockets were looking to gear up for one more push. While the team was a bit older than the current Celtics squad, some elements are sure to ring true.

First off, the players seemed to all get along. Barkley wanted the ring badly (as does KG and the other Celtics for that matter) and was on a mission to acquiesce. But during crunch time, teammates were unsure what to do. Who should they give the ball too? Before it was Hakeem in the post and Drexler on the wing but now Barkley was down low too. The team played well but ultimately couldn't quite close the deal.

I predict that Boston will seem similar results. Pierce will likely still be the leader (like Olajuwon) since he was there the longest despite Garnett being the best player. But like the Rockets, the Celtics will be cursed with almost too many high scorers. All three averaged over 20ppg last year. Whereas the Houston squads had none of the players averaging over 20ppg. How will this play with each player mentally? Time will tell, but it could be tough for each to drop roughly 7ppg when they've never been that low in years.

Furthermore, there were rumblings in years past about Pierce and ex Celtic Antoine Walker griping about shots. How will things fare now, especially with Ray Allen needing the ball to be effective?

2008 should see Garnett again be a terror on the boards and he'll likely drop a bit in scoring. Pierce will likely stay about the same across the board. But Ray Allen is only effective as a shooter. And a shooter without the ball is a problem waiting to happen. Like other shooters going to teams with other established ball handlers-see Peja Stojakovic, Glen Rice, etc-many times it results in an under utilized player. Look for Allen to still shoot effectively but for his number of shots to drop dramatically. He could easily go from 25ppg to 16ppg. With offenses down across the league it will be tough to balance 3 20+ppg scorers.

Once playoff time rolls around, the Celtics will be a top 4 seeded team. They won't get out of the East though. Like the Rockets in the 90's and the Lakers of the 00's, sometimes too much talent is a hindrance. A team at most can carry 2 superstars, just look at the past champions. Miami, LA, Houston, Chicago, Detroit. All had 2 superstars and solid role players. The Celtics would be better served to trade Ray Allen for a couple Horace Grants or Robert Horrys.

Bright Spot of Training Camp

I've got to say I'm more excited about the Houston Texans than I've ever been. Many would think it may be because of our new QB or the emergeance of Demeco Ryans or our 19 year old draft pick. And while all those are great reasons, none have me higher than the coach, Gary Kubiak.

Granted, I've always followed Kubiak ever since I was a kid-long story-but I truly think he's becoming a great coach. Not necessarily in the X's and O's sense (though that is no weakness of his) but more in the intangibles he brings.

Too often, we have been stuck with "organization" guys. You know the type. "Player X is really fighting this year" or "We take every game one week at a time". Pretty standard quotes from that type. Persons that belong in this group would be Dom Capers (ever the quote machine) and Charley Casserly (and to think I loved the guy upon his hiring). Going back aways would be Jack Pardee.

But the thing that is different with Kubiak is he's not afraid to call out his players. Take bust waiting to happen Travis Johnson. All offseason, Kubiak has said how Johnson needs to step things up and that he is fighting for a job. Do you think Capers would have done the same? He's also done the same with Jerome Mathis.

Sure, no one would finger him for a Parcells clone but I wouldn't want that either. Instead Kubiak knows when to coddle a player (like he did with David Carr last year to boost confidence) and when to let him know improvement is needed. Whether the players in question make the grade is up to them.

Kubiak reminds me of the best coach I've ever had the chance to see, Jeff Fisher. He's never had the best talent but he's always got the most out of it. And he's done so by letting players know where they stand and by fitting his system around his players. Too often coaches try to make their players fit their system and it rarely works.

But the best coaches do it the other way. It's one reason why Fisher's Titans did so well with such a sorry team. How sorry were they? Try and name one Titan other than VY.

Another example would be the Texans beating New England and Indianapolis in back to back weeks.

Time will tell with Kubiak but one thing is certain. He's given us balls. And for the first time, I can truly say......I'm a Texans fan.